Winemaker
Alex MacGregor
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Hopland, California, United States
i. Biography
Alex MacGregor has owned and made the wines at Trinafour Cellars since 2005, and he also serves as head winemaker at Saracina Vineyards in Mendocino County. The work is built around bright, textured wines that leave room for each vineyard to show its own shape.
The Climb
Training at McGill University, California State University, Fresno, and Santa Rosa Junior College came before MacGregor entered the Toronto restaurant scene as a busboy, then returned there as a certified sommelier and wine buyer. He worked under Héctor Vergara at Toronto restaurant wine program in Toronto, Canada, later became enologist at Dry Creek Valley in 1989, and moved from cellar rat to winemaker at Everett Ridge in Sonoma's Dry Creek and Russian River valleys, California, USA. Today, MacGregor is inaugural winemaker and head winemaker of Saracina Vineyards and owner and winemaker of Trinafour Cellars.
Today
At Saracina Vineyards in Mendocino County, MacGregor’s role is tied to the same practical emphasis that runs through Trinafour: wines shaped to read clearly from vineyard to bottle. At Trinafour Cellars, the house style is direct in aim: bright, textured wines that let each vineyard speak for itself.
Career - inaugural winemaker — Saracina Vineyards, Mendocino County, California, USA (2001–present) - head winemaker — Saracina Vineyards, Mendocino County, California, USA - owner and winemaker — Trinafour Cellars (2005–present) - busboy — Toronto restaurant scene, Toronto, Canada - certified sommelier and wine buyer — Toronto restaurants, Toronto, Canada - worked under Héctor Vergara — Toronto restaurant wine program, Toronto, Canada - enologist — Dry Creek Valley, Dry Creek Valley, California, USA (from 1989) - cellar rat to winemaker — Everett Ridge, Sonoma's Dry Creek and Russian River valleys, California, USA Education: McGill University; California State University, Fresno; Santa Rosa Junior College
Signature
MacGregor’s signature wines include Petite Sirah, Carignane, Dry Muscat, Rosso Misto, and Sémillon.
In Their Words “I got to taste everybody’s vineyard.”
Recognition
The clearest signatures are in the bottlings. The Petite Sirah is sourced from a single, dry-farmed, organic vineyard; it shows classic aromatics and structure, with refined and supple tannins shaped by hot post-fermentation maceration. The Carignane comes from a 1950s planting, is aged with no new oak, and spends a few days on top of Petite skins for enhancement. Dry Muscat, Rosso Misto, and French Colombard round out the range, each part of a small catalog tied to vineyard voice and texture.
FAQ What is Alex MacGregor's current role? As of 2026, Alex MacGregor is Owner and Winemaker. Where did Alex MacGregor train or study? Alex MacGregor trained at McGill University and California State University, Fresno. What is Alex MacGregor known for? Bright, textured wines that let each vineyard speak for itself.
